Archive for the 'Peyton Manning' Category

BASKETBALL

A day after a federal investigation into corruption charges in college basketball, the University of Louisville placed Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino on unpaid leave (essentially firing him). The Justice department claims an executive from Adidas bribed the coaches to steer top athletes to Louisville. Pitino and the basketball program were already on probation by the NCAA for a sex scandal involving a former director of basketball operations at the University who helped recruit players with strippers and prostitutes.

It’s official, Dwayne Wade will join his buddy LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers. When LeBron was asked how he felt about Wade joining, he said, “It’s kind of like when you start school and you walk into the classroom and you’re not quite sure who your classmates are. And when you walk in there and one of your best friends is in there, you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is going to be fun. It’s going to be a good class.’ That’s the type of feeling I got.”

SKIING

Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn is requesting the International Ski Federation allow her to compete against men in the FIS World Cup event. According to Vonn, “I know I’m not going to win, but I would like to at least have the opportunity to try. I think I’ve won enough World Cups where I should have enough respect within the industry to be able to have that opportunity.” FIS race director understands it’s a difficult decision and stated, “So if the ladies are allowed to race with the men, then also the men need to be authorized to ski with the ladies, and I’m not sure this is a direction we want to go.”

FOOTBALL

After Bob Corker announced he’s going to retire from his Tennessee Senate seat, many speculated future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning might run. According to Manning, “I certainly have an interest in politics and in our country. I just have zero interest in being a politician.” Manning may decide it’s too soon for him to run for Corker’s seat, but he could decide to run for Senator Lamar Alexander’s seat if Alexander chooses not to run in 2020.

ESPY’S

Peyton Manning hosted the 2017 ESPY’s (the annual sports awards show) handing out awards to Russell Westbrook for best male athlete, Kevin Durant for best championship performance, the Golden State Warriors for best team, Simone Biles for best female athlete after her 4 gold medals, and the Chicago Cubs (for best moment) by winning the World Series after 108 years. For the full list of winners, click here. Peyton Manning hosted the show, and in the opening took some barbs against Kevin Durant, joking he should join the women’s winning gymnast team because they’re so dominant. KD did not look pleased!

BASKETBALL

The Lakers’ Lonzo Ball had his best game of the summer league. Against the Philadelphia 76ers, Lonzo electrified the crowd (including LeBron James) by posting 36 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds and 5 steals. Lonzo noticeably wore Nikes instead of his $495 Big Baller Brand shoes.

NBA

Stephen Curry stepped it up again when he needed to. Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals was neck and neck until Curry went on a tear during the middle of the 3rd quarter posting 15 points in just under 2 minutes. And, that was all the Warriors needed to keep their 20 plus point lead against the Oklahoma City Thunder throughout the rest of the game. There was one very scary moment in the first quarter when Curry was chasing a loose ball and fell over a number of fans in the first few rows. Fortunately, Curry was fine but did have a swollen elbow that according to Curry looked like a tennis ball. The Warriors now head to OKC for game 3. Warriors 118, OKC 91.

Former Phoenix Suns Coach Jeff Hornacek was reportedly hired by the New York Knicks. The Suns fired Hornacek in February after a disappointing season.

FOOTBALL

A brewery from Indianapolis and one from Denver collaborated and designed a beer to honor NFL great Peyton Manning. The beer will be called “Oatmaha” but for legal reasons, Manning will not be featured on the can.

FOOTBALL

Week 17 in the NFL determines which teams make the playoffs and their playoff seedings. First up was the NY Jets. All the Jets needed to do to get into the playoffs was beat a lowly Buffalo Bills team. The issue is that the Bills are coached by former long-time Jets coach Rex Ryan. Ryan knows the Jets well and clearly wanted nothing more than to spoil the season for the team that let him go. Ryan got his wish and the Jets are out of the playoffs. Buffalo 22, NY Jets 17.

The Pittsburgh Steelers soundly took care of business in Cleveland to secure the playoff spot the Jets had their eyes on. Pittsburgh 28, Cleveland 12.

The Steelers will now take on their rival, the Cincinnati Bengals. And in Cleveland, the Browns promptly fired their coach Mike Pettine after the game, and also said that they are “so done” with their QB Johnny Manziel.

The New England Patriots were hoping to secure home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. All they had to do was beat a Miami team that seemingly couldn’t beat anyone. The Dolphins finally showed up this weekend, however, and the Patriots offense stalled against them. Miami 20, New England 10.

Next up was the Denver Broncos. If the Broncos beat the San Diego Chargers, they would secure the #1 seed in the AFC and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. In the 2nd half of the game, the legend Peyton Manning came back on the field taking over for backup Brock Osweiler. He looked incredible and the fans went crazy as he led the Broncos offense to a win over the Chargers. Denver 27, San Diego 20.

In Arizona, the Cardinals were hoping to steal home field advantage away from the Carolina Panthers, but first they needed to beat their division rival, the Seattle Seahawks. Fans expected the Cardinals to win, especially after the Seahawks struggled mightily against the Rams last week. Seattle surprised everyone and slaughtered the mighty Cardinals. The Seawhawks had a disastrous opening to the season, but clawed their way back to a playoff spot and don’t look like they’ll be slowing down anytime soon. Seattle 36, Arizona 6.

FOOTBALL

In an ugly game on Monday night, the Cincinnati Bengals suffered their first loss of the season against the Houston Texans. After the game, Texans defensive end, J.J. Watt commented on Bengals QB Andy Dalton saying “Our goal was to come in here and make the ‘Red Rifle’ look like a Red Ryder BB gun, and I think we did that.” Dalton’s nickname is ‘Red Rifle’, and he was so offended by the comment, the seemingly benign insult has become viral on social media. Texans 10, Bengals 6.

The only two remaining undefeated teams are the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots.

In some upsetting news for Peyton Manning fans (me included), his season may be over. Manning was benched on Sunday after throwing four interceptions, and its now reported that he may have a more serious injury than we all suspected. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Manning has a tear in the tissue of his left foot. Apparently this type of injury is painful and can keep him out a few weeks, but who knows if he’ll be in fighting shape for the playoffs.

BASEBALL

In the World Series, it was Game 5 between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets. The Royals led 3-1 and needed to win one more to secure their first World Series title since 1985. Last year, they fell short against the San Francisco Giants. The Mets led early in the game, but a late rally by the Royals sent the game to extra innings. In the 12th, the Royals put up 5 runs, and the Mets found themselves in a huge hole. In the bottom of the 12th, the Royals got the job done on the mound, and sealed their world series victory. The Royals celebrated their first World Series victory in 30 years. Kansas City 7, NY Mets. 2

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, it seemed as if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were doomed coming into the Georgia Dome to play the Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs had perseverance, however, especially their rookie linebacker Kwon Alexander. Alexander’s brother was killed in a fight this past week, and Alexander said that all his brother wanted was to “see Kwon ball”. And Kwon did just that. He had several incredible defensive plays, including stripping the ball from Falcons star receiver Julio Jones. The Falcons forced an overtime, but the Bucs never quit, and nabbed the upset overtime win. Alexander got the game ball and gave an emotionally tearful victory speech. Tampa Bay 23, Atlanta 20.

In New Orleans, we were treated to a shootout between the Saints and the New York Giants. This was a homecoming game for two Giants’ stars, as both their QB Eli Manning and their wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. are Louisiana natives. Manning and Odell they came to play! But… so did Drew Brees. Brees threw for a record-tying 7 TOUCHDOWNS!!! Meanwhile, Manning was right behind him with 6 TOUCHDOWNS!!! It looked like the Giants were headed for the win, but some late penalties put the Saints in field goal range, and Kai Forbath booted the game winner. The Saints celebrate on their home turf. New Orleans 52, NY Giants 49.

Finally, at night, it was the battle of two 6-0 teams. The Green Bay Packers headed to Denver to take on Peyton Manning and the ferocious defense of the Broncos. Shockingly, the Broncos were even able to shut down Aaron Rodgers, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The Broncos now move to 7-0, and, it looks like Manning might get another shot at a Super Bowl run — and this year he won’t have to do it all by himself. Denver 29, Green Bay 10.

In college football this weekend, we witnessed one of the craziest plays. The University of Miami was trailing Duke and the game appeared to be over. In the ensuing kickoff return, the Hurricanes lateraled 8 times to score the winning TD. It’s a fun play to watch and would have gone down as one of the greatest plays in college history, but turns out the University of Miami player’s knee was down in addition to a few more errors that were overlooked by the refs. The Atlantic Coast Conference suspended the officiating crew after the game but the results still stand and the University of Miami recorded the win.

FOOTBALL

The first quarter of the Thursday night matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs was uneventful. By the end of the second quarter the Chiefs were up 14 points off of a Jamaal Charles run and an interception return for a TD. QB Peyton Manning could not get into a groove but right before halftime, he threw a TD that tied the score. In the third quarter both teams swapped field goals. By the end of the fourth quarter the game got interesting. After the Chiefs scored another TD, Manning drove 80 yards then with 36 seconds remaining threw another TD to Emmanuel Sanders. With only 26 seconds left, Jamaal Charles fumbled and the Broncos ran the ball in for a TD to seal the win. Even though Manning looked a bit shaky during the game, he reached an impressive milestone by throwing over 70,000 career yards. Brett Favre is the only other QB to have reached this feat. Favre ended his 16 year career with 71, 838 yards. If Manning stays healthy, we should see that number eclipsed soon. Broncos 31, Chiefs 24.

BASEBALL

The NY Yankees and the the NY Mets play the second leg of the 2015 subway series. This is the first time since 2007 that both teams have been in contention this late in the season. Should be an exciting weekend of NY baseball.

MOTORSPORTS

In a horrific tragedy, IndyCar driver Justin Wilson died a day after he was hit with debris at Pocano Raceway. IndyCar drivers are more susceptible to injuries because their cockpits are open. Wilson was widely beloved in the racing world for his kindness and professionalism. At only 37 years old, he will be sorely missed.

FOOTBALL

For the first time ever, the Associated Press college football poll unanimously agreed on the number one college football team in the country. The honor goes to Ohio State Buckeyes with 61 first place votes. TCU came in second with Alabama, Baylor, and Michigan State rounding out the top 5. Should be another exciting season of college ball.

In other football news, Peyton Manning says he still can’t feel his fingertips on his throwing hand. He says that doctors keep telling him that the feeling will eventually come back but after four years, he’s not so certain. Manning fans don’t need to worry, however, as the numbness hasn’t affected his ability to make plays.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, this is the make or break year for the current state of the Denver Broncos. Their new head coach Gary Kubiak has his sights set on the Super Bowl even showing his team a tape of great plays from Super Bowls of the last 20 years for inspiration. One of their receivers, Emmanuel Sanders, said that “it’s Super Bowl or bust this year”. Peyton Manning has decided to give it one more go, but this will likely be his last season. They have to get the job done.

Elsewhere in the NFL, long time San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree has decided to end his tenure with the 49ers. He signed a deal across the bay with the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders were terrible last season, but towards the end, they showed some signs of life. They even beat the Niners, which was practically their Super Bowl. They have some nice young players, a new coach, and perhaps adding a weapon like Crabtree could help them win some more games. Most likely a good signing for the Raiders.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks, a team that was a doormat last year, is on their way to the playoffs. They have locked in the #6 seed in the East, and have a great group of young players. The Bucks’ management has decided to truly make this team into a contender, and are launching a full re-branding effort with the franchise. They want to build a new, huge stadium complex (complete with restaurants and apartments) and they even launched new logos. The Buck now look much fiercer and the colors are more in line with their origins. Jerseys will come next, but expect the Bucks to be in the mix for the next few years.

FOOTBALL

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew announced his retirement from the NFL. Jones-Drew had a successful run with the Jacksonville Jaguars for 8 years and was traded to the Oakland Raiders for his last season. Jones-Drew was a three time pro bowler during his run with the Jags.

The big question at the end of the football season was whether Peyton Manning would come back for another season with the Denver Broncos or retire. It’s now been confirmed that Manning will be back and has agreed to a salary reduction. Instead of making $19 mill, he’ll be taking home $15 mill. Don’t feel too badly for him though, he will make another $2 mill if the team makes it to the Super Bowl and another $2 mill if they win the Super Bowl. It will be great to see Manning back on the field next season!